Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo
Nothing much has changed after the 33rd matchday of the 2024-25 La Liga campaign, as Real Madrid still trail Barcelona by four points after last weekend’s results.
Real Madrid extended their winning streak to three games following their 1-0 win against Getafe, though their morale is not that high because they’re fresh from a 3-2 loss against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final. Meanwhile, Barcelona remain undefeated in their last four matches across all competitions after a 3-3 draw against Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League semi-finals tie yesterday, and they have a winnable game against Valladolid this Saturday.
Los Blancos’ next opponents are Celta Vigo, who have dreams of clinching a European football berth. The Galicians are seventh in the Spanish top-flight standings with 46 points. Claudio Giraldez’s men are coming off a 3-0 win over Villarreal.
Talking Points
Real Madrid are compromised at the back
Carlo Ancelotti is forced to be creative because Real Madrid are shorthanded at the back. Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, David Alaba, and Eduardo Camavinga are all in the medical room. Antonio Rudiger is suspended for six games for his antics in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.
Rudiger and teammate Lucas Vazquez received straight red cards in Seville for dissenting to a foul given against Kylian Mbappe shortly after the final whistle. Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea claimed in the postgame report that Rudiger “threw an object that missed me” when the German centre-back received his marching orders.
Fran Garcia, Raul Asencio, and Jesus Vallejo are Ancelotti’s main choices at the back, with Aurelien Tchouameni as the emergency option. 19-year-old Youssef Enriquez Lekhedim could make his Los Blancos debut since he has been training with the team in the past few weeks.
Jude Bellingham also received a straight red, but his card was overturned, so he’ll play against Celta Vigo. The Englishman will likely have Luka Modric and Fede Valverde by his side in the middle of the park.
Kylian Mbappe came off the bench against Barca and will likely regain his starting spot to reunite with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo in the final third.
Celta Vigo’s veterans showing the way
Celta Vigo fans dream of European football under head coach Claudio Giraldez, who replaced Rafa Benitez last year. Under Giraldez, the Galicians boast the joint-fourth-best attack in La Liga with 50 league goals, level with Athletic Bilbao and Real Betis.
Iago Aspas and Borja Iglesias have been clinical enough in the final third, notching nine league goals each this season. Youngsters Pablo Duran, Hugo Alvarez, and Alfonso Gonzalez are the team’s joint-second top scorers with four league goals each. Oscar Mingueza has stood out as Celta Vigo’s top playmaker with six assists.
Iglesias, on loan from Real Betis, started against Villarreal last time out and scored during the 53rd minute. Fer Lopez and Iago Aspas joined Iglesias on the scoresheet, with the latter converting a late penalty after Pape Gueye’s costly challenge on Ilaix Moriba.
History
Sunday marks the third meeting between Real Madrid and Celta Vigo. Real Madrid won 2-1 in the reverse league fixture last October at the Balaidos Stadium, and they followed it up with a 5-2 victory at the Copa del Rey Round of 16 last January.
Los Blancos are undefeated in their last 21 La Liga matches against the Galicians (W19, D2), their longest unbeaten run against any Spanish top-flight opponent. Real Madrid scored 67 league goals in the said stretch for an average of 3.2 goals per contest.
Celta Vigo have only picked up one point from their last 12 visits at the Bernabeu – a 2-2 draw in February 2020. They haven’t beaten Real Madrid in La Liga since a 2-1 result in November 2006.
Betting Tip
The La Liga 2025 odds expect Real Madrid to extend their winning streak this weekend. Los Blancos are 1.35 favourites to win, whereas the Galicians are 6.10 underdogs, and a draw is at 5.00 in the 1X2 market.Real Madrid have been a mess in the past few days, but they have enough quality to put Celta Vigo away while creating new La Liga 2025 highlights. Besides our recommended bet, SBOTOP bettors can also go for Total Goal 2-3 at 2.36, while Under 3.75 at 1.69, Under 3.50 at 1.88, and Under 3.25 at 2.08 are the more conservative choices. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 2-1 in favour of Real Madrid – the result of the reverse fixture – could give you a solid 8.60 payday.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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